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was prevalent there from 1845 until the late 1960s, with one mine (the White Pine mine) continuing through 1995. In its heyday in the latter half of the 19th century and the early 20th century, the area was the world's greatest producer of copper.
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from Boston and other East Coast investors, many other mines quickly followed. Mining of the most productive deposit, the
Calumet conglomerate, began in 1865. Mining took place along a belt that stretched about 100 miles southwest to northeast.
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Miners pose with lunch pails in hand on a mine rock pile outside of the
Tamarack mineshaft. This mine was one of the most productive mines in the Copper Country.
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Industrial pollution leftover from the former mining operations remains a significant problem in the region. Copper processing produced enormous quantities of
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Initially, Irish, Cornish, French-Canadian and German immigrants came to mine copper on the peninsula. They were followed by large numbers of
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The Copper
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in
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Copper
Country is highly unusual among mining districts in that the copper mined was predominantly in its elemental ("
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484:"An Interior Ellis Island: Ethnic Diversity and the Peopling of Michigan's Copper Country, Keweenaw Ethnic Groups"
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While mining in Copper
Country continues to this day, it is on a much smaller scale than before, with
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White, Walter S. (1968). "The native-copper deposits of northern
Michigan". In Ridge, John D. (ed.).
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as a waste product, which was often stored in large, unsecured piles near the coast. In the town of
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mined copper from small pits as early as 3000 B.C. on this peninsula surrounded by the waters of
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The Copper
Country averages more snowfall than any part of the United States east of the
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533:"Publication, Access and Preservation of Scandinavian Immigrant Press in North America"
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immigrants. Michigan Tech was founded in response to the needs of the copper mines.
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Native copper from the
Keweenaw Peninsula Michigan about 2.5 inches (6.4 cm) long.
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includes several important sites relating to the area's copper-mining history.
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is very popular in the winter, and snowmobile trails are found in most areas.
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Strangers and
Sojourners - A History of Michigan's Keweenaw Peninsula
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American Institute of Mining, Metallurgical and Petroleum Engineers
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in Hancock, founded in 1896 as Suomi College (closed in 2023), and
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Ore Deposits of the United States, 1933-1967. pp. 303–325.
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562:"Mean Monthly and Annual Snowfall: Conterminous United States"
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The list of ethnic groups included the aforementioned
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who immigrated to the Upper Peninsula, especially the
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Simon, James; Finney, Patricia (August 10–14, 2008).
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MTU Archives and Copper Country Historical Collection
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Institutions of higher education include the former
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having taken over as the area's largest industries.
359:Popular tourist destinations include the cities of
60:. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.
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542:. Quebec, Canada: Center for Research Libraries
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594:Reports on the Mineral Region of Lake Superior
248:in the mid-1800s and later to become mayor of
796:National Register of Historic Places listings
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27:Region in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, US
514:Ore Deposits of the United States, 1933-1967
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120:Learn how and when to remove this message
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591:Burt, William A.; Hubbard, Bela (1846).
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597:. Buffalo: L. Danforth. pp. 1–113.
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407:Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
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602:Carnahan, Arthur L. (December 1905).
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58:adding citations to reliable sources
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1765:Copper mining in the United States
604:"The Lake Superior Copper Country"
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492:Michigan Technological University
403:Michigan Technological University
392:Keweenaw National Historical Park
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564:. Climate Source. Archived from
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461:List of Copper Country smelters
45:needs additional citations for
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490:. J. Robert Van Pelt Library,
384:Porcupine Mountains State Park
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620:"Imprint: My Upper Peninsula"
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644:Wayne State University Press
456:List of Copper Country mills
451:List of Copper Country mines
276:Immigrants to Copper Country
178:counties as well as part of
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1760:Upper Peninsula of Michigan
791:National Historic Landmarks
638:Thurner, Arthur W. (1994).
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388:Copper Country State Forest
246:State Geologist of Michigan
156:Upper Peninsula of Michigan
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642:. Detroit, Michigan, USA:
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207:. Size 9.5 x 8.6 x 1.7 cm.
182:. The area is so named as
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516:. Vol. 1. New York:
371:with Lake of the Clouds.
205:Keweenaw County, Michigan
164:Keweenaw County, Michigan
726:Congressional delegation
355:After the copper mining
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1096:Independence Township
1031:Chesterfield Township
618:(November 30, 2013).
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1081:Grand Blanc Township
806:State Historic Sites
399:Finlandia University
54:improve this article
1755:Regions of Michigan
1727: /
1703:Michigan portal
1156:Pittsfield Township
1076:Georgetown Township
1021:Bloomfield Township
831:Tourist attractions
369:Porcupine Mountains
1256:Ypsilanti Township
1236:Waterford Township
977:Southeast Michigan
939:Keweenaw Peninsula
624:The New York Times
302:Keweenaw Peninsula
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154:is an area in the
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138:Map of the region.
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1131:Meridian Township
1041:Commerce Township
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972:Northern Michigan
821:Tallest buildings
653:978-0-8143-2396-0
608:National Magazine
434:Mississippi River
380:McLain State Park
242:Douglass Houghton
199:13-oz. nugget of
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1196:Saginaw Township
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1066:Farmington Hills
1051:Dearborn Heights
1036:Clinton Township
957:Central Michigan
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1061:East Lansing
1016:Battle Creek
928:
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867:Demographics
701:
639:
629:November 30,
627:. Retrieved
623:
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570:. Retrieved
566:the original
556:
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52:Please help
47:verification
44:
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1569:Montmorency
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811:State parks
776:Lighthouses
546:October 12,
497:October 12,
1749:Categories
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1504:Livingston
1344:Charlevoix
1211:Southfield
746:Government
467:References
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386:, and the
367:, and the
298:Norwegians
254:Cliff mine
80:newspapers
1674:Washtenaw
1669:Van Buren
1654:St. Clair
1629:Roscommon
1599:Ontonagon
1554:Missaukee
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1464:Kalamazoo
1419:Hillsdale
1379:Dickinson
1349:Cheboygan
1186:Royal Oak
1181:Roseville
1101:Kalamazoo
1011:Ann Arbor
982:The Thumb
882:Elections
877:Education
741:Geography
706:(capital)
691:State of
321:Croatians
176:Ontonagon
110:July 2024
1574:Muskegon
1564:Montcalm
1524:Manistee
1514:Mackinac
1494:Leelanau
1479:Keweenaw
1469:Kalkaska
1454:Isabella
1424:Houghton
1369:Crawford
1354:Chippewa
1266:Counties
1246:Westland
1141:Muskegon
1106:Kentwood
1046:Dearborn
1001:Largest
967:Michiana
902:Politics
897:Gun laws
852:Cannabis
847:Abortion
826:Timeline
751:Highways
693:Michigan
572:June 10,
440:See also
365:Houghton
349:Slovenes
337:Italians
168:Houghton
1722:88°48′W
1719:46°56′N
1684:Wexford
1664:Tuscola
1639:Sanilac
1634:Saginaw
1604:Osceola
1584:Oakland
1579:Newaygo
1549:Midland
1539:Mecosta
1499:Lenawee
1459:Jackson
1414:Gratiot
1404:Gogebic
1399:Gladwin
1394:Genesee
1364:Clinton
1334:Calhoun
1324:Berrien
1284:Allegan
1251:Wyoming
1191:Saginaw
1171:Redford
1166:Portage
1161:Pontiac
1136:Midland
1121:Livonia
1111:Lansing
1056:Detroit
912:Regions
872:Economy
857:Culture
840:Society
816:Symbols
786:Museums
766:Islands
756:History
731:Cuisine
703:Lansing
411:Finnish
390:. The
329:Germans
317:Cornish
313:Chinese
270:logging
266:tourism
250:Detroit
227:History
158:in the
94:scholar
1619:Ottawa
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1559:Monroe
1519:Macomb
1489:Lapeer
1434:Ingham
1329:Branch
1319:Benzie
1304:Baraga
1299:Arenac
1294:Antrim
1289:Alpena
1274:Alcona
1231:Warren
1221:Taylor
1026:Canton
801:People
713:Topics
650:
347:; and
286:Swedes
244:, the
221:native
172:Baraga
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1679:Wayne
1534:Mason
1444:Iosco
1439:Ionia
1429:Huron
1389:Emmet
1384:Eaton
1374:Delta
1359:Clare
1309:Barry
1279:Alger
1071:Flint
862:Crime
761:Index
736:Fauna
536:(PDF)
345:Poles
333:Irish
290:Danes
282:Finns
101:JSTOR
87:books
1509:Luce
1484:Lake
1474:Kent
1449:Iron
1339:Cass
1226:Troy
1146:Novi
648:ISBN
631:2013
574:2011
548:2019
499:2019
296:and
294:Sámi
268:and
174:and
150:The
73:news
1314:Bay
771:Law
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